A/N: Hi! After taking FOREVER (literally) my sis finally updated this story! And, we're sorry that it's not Fon like we said, but instead it's Verde. Why? Because my sis said that Fon's story end up with a bad ending and she didn't like that so she's re-making it right now. Hehe, anyway, hope you enjoy!

P.s. The one who wrote the A/N(s) in this chap is ME (the younger author LOL). And I kinda stole *cough* this word document and publish it without my sis knowing (she's sleeping right now while I'm stuck with HWs and... FF! LOL). So, don't be surprised to see a change in the A/N later on. Sorry for the inconvenience

Disclaimer: I don't own KHR

Warning: fem27, adult Arcobaleno

Remedy

Long ago, there was a sea of rain forest green. It was full of dancing lights and every creature underneath rejoiced in the shimmering rays. But even the dimmest light casts shadows, and the lights that passed through the canopies were bright.

The lights casted an infinite shadow, as black and bottomless as the deepest trench that swallowed everything. It swallowed the lush green forest. It swallowed the rejoicing creatures. And eventually, it swallowed the bright dancing light.

With the light gone, the shadow too, disappeared. But as the lights that can never be perished, the shadow also left its remains lurking in the darkness. Since then, the once beautiful forest was infested by unearthly creatures such as goblins, fairies, and those who devour mankind in their dreams.

o0o

Tsunahime stepped another step on the moldy trunk. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and fell to her eyelashes. She blinked as she struggled to move her body. Her feet ached and her stomach grumbled in protest. Even so, she did not give up. She believed that she took the right decision by walking back instead of following the route that was told by her tutor.

Her tutor.

Her oh-so-cute tutor.

Her superhuman tutor.

Her sadistic tutor.

She sighed yet another long sigh. Anything but Reborn's Spartan training, right? She thought, and he even said that he is going 'level up' the training! She didn't know the details, but she could guess that anything short of death could have been better that Reborn's training. The usual training… well, it was hellish, but still endurable. But this time, he said that he's going to take it to a whole new level. Even without adding additional 'teaching media', it was already life threatening as it was! She couldn't even begin to imagine what sort of damage she would experience if she had taken the enhanced version of thetraining.

Hence, she decided that it was better to escape from him while she still got the chance to do so. Or while he still got the heart to let her do so. Why was it so easy for her to escape? He must have noticed her absence, yet she still managed to escape. Based on past experiences, her tutor had never failed to notice her attempts to escape from his training programs, thanks to his insane ability to read minds. That tutor of hers was just too perfect that it's scary. Yet she managed to escape.

At first, her heart was filled with joy, and maybe just a bit of rebellious excitement. But now Tsunahime began to doubt the reckless decision. Since she managed to escape from him, she had been walking for more than eight hours straight. But since then, the scenery hasn't changed a bit, always the same green terrain, with moss and rotten leaves and mushrooms popping here and there. The feeling was almost as if you were alone on a life boat, floating on the seven seas where you could see nothing but the depressing and endless blue, the only difference was, this time, it's green instead. Could it be that he let her go on purpose? She recalled having a similar experience before…

Flashback…

Tsunahime was running as fast as her feet could carry her—which was actually not very fast— as she struggled to avoid the dancing pink-tutu-wearing bears that fell out of nowhere. She occasionally caught glimpses of her tutor with her peripheral vision, but it seems that he has no intention whatsoever to save her from the comical yet life threatening situation. Rather, she was perfectly sure that he was enjoying this.

She somehow managed to climb to her safety, panting from exhaustion. The cute tutor just smiled innocently at her from a nearby tree, before she was showered by what seemed like chestnut rain. She fell from the tree, bruised all over.

After experiencing his pranks, urged by her anger and frustration, she cried, "This is not training! It's just you playing tricks on me! I've had enough of all this 'training'! I'm going home."

Reborn just glanced at her and said, "Go home then. I won't stop you."

Tsunahime froze." Eh?"

"If you actually managed to get out of this mountain by yourself, then you've certainly become a true lady and there's no need for you to receive further training. On the other hand, if you failed, well…"

The unsaid words were, 'you'll die a painful death, and people won't be able to find as much as a bone from your remains.'

"Okay, okay! I just have to continue with the training…"

End of flashback

A gust of wind blew, making her shiver. It was almost dark by now, so the air temperature was a bit low. She zipped her jacket and sat down. As dusk fell, it became eerier than ever. Tsunahime remembered the stories told about this forest. "One should never enter the forest, for they shall embrace their deaths in the hands of the green forest goblins." The stories described the goblins as such, green skin, menacing eyes, razor teeth, and varied sizes of big and small, short and tall. The goblins, ruthless, mean creatures they were, would capture their preys at dusk, scoop their eyes, tear up the limbs, and eat their flesh while drinking the fresh, red blood.

*rustle*

*rustle*

The bushes shook. Tsunahime quivered, alerted by a distant presence. A figure was coming from the shadows. She wanted to run, but her feet refused to move. She wanted to scream, but her lips refused to part. Fear started to take over every inch of her. She has never been the bravest person in the society; they even called her Dame-Hime. She was not that lame little girl anymore, but it's not like she was devoid of any fears, especially when her comrades were not by her side. Like this time. She felt like a frog staring into the snake's eyes.

*Step*

*Step*

The figure was emerging, taking a step closer toward her. Her eyes widened. The figure was green. Green from head to toe! It was tall, it's expression cold. Move! Please, just move! After much struggle, she managed to take a step back. A sudden sharp pain stabbed her limbs almost immediately along with the realization that her body was falling backwards. The pain spread, and her body crumbled. Her consciousness followed not too long after.

o0o

The flame was lit ablaze. It burns. It was painful. She tried putting it off. More pain. A heart wrenching shriek escaped her mouth and spread through her entire being. Who ignited the fire? Why was it there? She wished for it to go away. But the flame engulfed her entire body, scorching her. She felt like she was turning into a human charcoal, being burnt alive. But then the flames stopped its torture. It was still there, but the pain has vanished. So she opened her eyes, and…

"So it did work!" exclaimed the green figure. He seemed like he was having fun, with that smug expression stuck on his face. Wait a minute, he's a human!

"I wouldn't try to stand if I were you. The poison… There might be some remaining in your body."

"Poison?"

"The poison from the thorn. It was lethal enough to kill a grown up bear. You could have died easily. Well, thanks to me you're alive, but what were you thinking? Running into a poisonous bush just to stab yourself with the thorns? Even that Reborn didn't manage to fix that clumsy nature of yours, eh? Amazing. Amazing indeed! I'm awed by your supreme clumsiness."

"Excuse me?"

"You're Reborn's disciple, aren't you?"

"You know Reborn?"

The man didn't answer; instead, he snickered to himself. "My, my, you really didn't recognize me? You really have a goldfish's memory."

Then a sudden realization hit her. Tsunahime's eyes widened as she noticed the identity of the man. He was one of Reborn's acquaintances, one of his fellow arcobalenoes. And the weirdest of the bunch, no less! Not that the others are normal; the word 'normal' could never be associated to the arcobalenos after all. If Reborn was the Sadistic Tutor, he was the Mad Scientist. A true genius, no doubt, but seeing his ruthless ways when conducting his experiments, you could even say that he was what people called a maniac. Yes, he was the one and only arcobaleno of the lightning, Verde!

"Took you long enough to realize," Verde smirked.

Tsunahime sighed a sigh of relief. Now that Verde was here, maybe she was not so lost after all.

"How do you feel?"

"hmm… Only a bit dizzy, but I guess I'm okay. Thank you for saving me, Verde-san."

"No, no. No need to thank me…" Verde said, and then muttered to himself, "So my hypothesis was right… I just need to add a little of this and that…"

Tsunahime only managed to catch a few words, but she didn't feel curious about the rest. It was better for her not to know, it was highly probable that she would freak out if she did. She suspected that it might be as nasty as Reborn's training program that she saw before she left.

"What are you doing here, Verde-san? How did you end up here?"

"Hmm…? Me? I'm gathering some ingredients for my latest experiment, obviously. A place with this much rare ingredients is just very convenient!"

"Rare ingredients…?"

Tsunahime was rendered speechless. What kind of place is this, to have so many rare 'ingredients'? Not that she wanted to know the answer; she just wanted to find an escape route!

"Umm… Verde-san, will you tell me how to exit this forest?"

*silence*

"Verde-san…?"

"Hmm…?"

"Verde-san, sorry for asking, but could it be that you are also… lost?"

"…"

The green arcobaleno just turned his back and walked away in response to Tsunahime's question.

"Verde-san! Wait for me!" Tsunahime cried desperately, seeing that her only hope to survive was obviously trying to leave her by herself. Just look at the pace he was walking with! Tsunahime picked up her speed to catch up with him. Isn't he supposed to be a scientist that was not all that capable in terms of physical exercises? Tsunahime sighed once again at the situation.

o0o

"How long are you going to follow me around?"

"Until we get out of the forest, of course," Tsunahime answered. Seeing the determined look on her eyes, it seemed that she would not give up anytime soon. It seemed that Verde's opinion about her was slightly inaccurate. The tenth Vongola boss was not all that weak-minded. Instead, she could be really stubborn at times. And she just had to pick this time to show that stubborn side of hers. Of all times, why now, when he just happened to be conducting the most important experiment of the year?

Verde tried to outrun her, but it was not an easy task. Regardless of her gender and shorter limbs, she was still the boss of the Vongola. He was almost at his limit, but she still managed to keep up with ease. Verde took a glance backwards, deciding to stop running as she's really not going to give up anytime soon, and he was too tired to keep running. It was annoying to do his work when another person was observing him, but Tsunahime was not that bright anyway. Even if she was trying, she could never comprehend his actions.

"All right, you win," Verde said reluctantly while turning his head.

But Tsunahime was not there.

"…"

Don't tell me that she's…

Verde took a few steps back, only to find her lying unconscious in the nearby pitfall. The arcobaleno sighed and walked away, his face devoid of any expressions. This generation's vongola boss is just too reckless!

o0o

"Ugh, my head hurts…" Tsunahime rubbed her head as she managed to sit up.

"And again, my hypothesis was right. 'That' herb could enhance the self healing properties of the body… Hmm… Ah! That's right. Just tag along with me until we're out of this forest. I would even heal your wounds!"

Tsunahime stared at him in suspicion at his sudden willingness. "You're just toying with me, aren't you?"

"No. 'Toying' is not the correct term. 'Experimenting' is more suitable in this case," he said with a smirk.

"What am I to you? A guinea pig?"

"Correct!"

Hearing Verde's answer, Tsunahime could only stare blankly at the older man.

o0o

The two continued walking until the night came. Luckily, there was a small cave nearby. Tsunahime lit the fire in silence while Verde prepared the food. He took out some suspicious-looking herb. Tsunahime, apparently too tired to complain about the looks, took a bite after another. Delicious! It's very delicious!

"Verde-san, I never knew that you are such a good cook!"

"Well, cooking is not all that different from conducting experiments," Verde chuckled as he saw Tsunahime eating.

"When you think about it…" As conducting chemical experiments are basically the same as cooking, and looking at the amount of time he spent working in his lab which is as much as the time spent by full-time chefs in the kitchen… Could it be that he's as skilled as full time chefs?! Now that you think about it, his cooking skills must be the best amongst the arcobaleno! Or at least, on par with Fon-san's skills in making gyoza-meat buns. Tsunahime chuckled a bit on her thoughts, receiving a raised eyebrow from the green arcobaleno. After eating her share, she finally gave in to her exhaustion and slept by the fire.

o0o

Verde studied the delicate smile on Tsunahime's sleeping face. Geez, this girl... How could she sleep so casually in front of an adult man in the middle of the forest? Apparently, after finishing her dinner, she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately, using her bag as a pillow.

" Verde-san…"

He froze. Is she awake? He looked at Tsunahime's face closely. Seeing that she was fast asleep, he sighed in relief. It'll be bad if he was caught while gazing at her sleeping face. It seemed that she was just murmuring his name in her sleep. What was she dreaming about? It must be something nice, but she murmured his name. Could it be that she was dreaming of him? He frowned. Why would she smile when he was in her dream? He knew that she considered him as a mad scientist with no conscience whatsoever. If he ever appeared in her dream, it'll be a nightmare of some sort. Yet, she smiled. He couldn't help but smile a little. Until now, there was no one that showed a sincere smile for his sake. Yet, this girl smiled while murmuring his name.

o0o

A nightmare… Tsunahime's face distorted with pain. Her eyes snapped open. Verde gasped in horror. Her eyes were a deep shade of red, so dark her pupils were indistinguishable from her irises. He was a fool! How could he not noticed the fact the 'herb' has a serious side effect which amplifies the very poison it neutralized when there was even the slightest portion of poison remained? How could he make such a mistake!

He won't let her die. How could he let her die, the girl who murmured his name with a smile on her face?

He berated himself for thinking about useless things in this situation. He must act swiftly if he were to save Tsunahime. He told himself to calm down and think. He can't use the herb again, as it may accelerate her death. Now, he only has the serums he managed to gather this past week. It was too dangerous to use them randomly. He might succeed, but he was definitely unwilling to take bets using experimental-stage materials. Think. There must be something…Ah!

He might be a scientist, but he was also an arcobaleno of lightning. The lightning has that particular ability to solidify and protect. Because human body was built mostly of water, the lightning flame should have no problems entering, as the water acts as a conductor. He could inject his flames into her internal organs and temporarily block the poison, preventing it from spreading further. He could only block the poison, but this girl was a Vongola Boss who wields the sky flame. She will not die without fighting. He simply has to block it long enough as her own flames disintegrate the foreign object in her bloodstream.

Now, there was only one problem to solve: how to inject the flames to her body. His ability to use his own flames does not know the word 'subtlety'. In the past, never mind injecting, it would simply char his opponents. If he used such technique, Tsunahime will die for sure. However, he started emitting small amount of lightning flames throughout his body. As the lightning gathered, he gently held her hands and kissed her on the lips, transferring the flames of lightning through the temporary bond created by their body liquid.

o0o

Tsunahime felt the poison spread, inching further and further. The sense of peace she had has left, replaced by the excruciating pain that were scorching her, so much heat she was sure that her skin has blackened and charred on the outside. The black flames approached on the edges, center, and between her consciousness. She desperately fought the black with her own pure orange, knowing that it was a losing battle. The flames spread far to fast. She panicked. She opened her eyes, but only blackness greeted her. She moved her body, but the flames pinned her down. But she refused to give up. She burned up her hands and reached out.

A gentle hand took hers. It was impossibly warm despite all the heat, promising to aid and protect. So she accepted that aid willingly as another foreign flame entered, solidify, forming formidable green fortress that held back the black. The spread finally halted, giving her flames a chance to fight. The fight was slow and difficult, but it was no longer a losing battle.

What felt like hours has passed, but still the green fortress stayed solid. Lightning green poured continuously, aiding her orange that was fighting the black. She felt the black flames subsiding, replaced by her own flames. She felt warmth throughout her body as the green, too, subsided when the black completely disappeared.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. The bird's cheerful song greeted her, as if to congratulate her for winning the hard battle. "It is morning already," Tsunahime murmured to herself.

"Yes."

She looked up to find Verde staring back at her. She could see a hint of kindness and relief reflected in his eyes, a genuine and sincere feeling that could be seen no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He looked away from her somewhat sheepishly. She could see him blushing, and she felt her own swollen lips. Realizing what he has done to save her life, she felt blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Thank you, Verde-san," Tunahime said.

Before he got a chance to reply, a voice calling out Tsunahime's name was heard from a distance. Verde got up almost immediately.

So Verde-san has a good heart after all. She could still see it, even with his back towards her.

He was leading her now, to the light that shone brightly, marking the end of their journey. Tsunahime stopped her steps, suddenly felt overwhelmed by both relieve and grief.

Realizing that she has stopped walking, Verde too, halted his steps. "What now?" he asked with his back facing Tsunahime. Tsunahime hesitated a little, but then opened her mouth.

"Verde-san, if I want to meet you in the future…"

Verde ruffled her hair lightly before turning his back casually and took a few steps forward.

"I'll invite you to my lab sometimes."

"Un!" Tsunahime couldn't see it, but hearing a smile in his words, she too, smiled.

"Then, I'll be waiting."

Tsunahime ran towards Verde's back as she received the invitation. The man froze, startled by her unexpected warm embrace. But the mad scientist refused to be the one who was astounded. Verde swiftly turned around and kissed Tsunahime on the lips.

A/N: How is it? Thanks for reading until the end! And once again I repeat, the one who wrote this A/N right now is me (the younger author) instead of my sis (the real author of this fic) so, don't be surprised to see a change of A/N later on (LOL repeated sentence)

THANKS FOR READING UNTIL THE END, THE PATIENCE, THE SUPPORT, AND THE RESPONDS! XD